Roll-up doors are commonly found in industrial and commercial establishments, between various parts of a plant, warehouse or the like. These roll-up doors typically include multiple hinged panels, with rigid ends that rest in tracks. These tracks are at opposite ends of the door and are typically attached to the walls surrounding or proximate to the door. The upper portion is attached to a take up member, that is counterbalanced or rotated, by a motor or the like, when opening the door is desired, functions as a spool to take up the door panels as the door moves upward. The system works in reverse when the door panel moves downward, when closing of the door is desired.
These doors typically include a latching system along the panels, for preventing movement of the door when it is in a down or closed position. This latching system is typically a central cam attached to a handle, that connects to rigid rods of equal length or independent latches at each end. When the cam rotates, it pulls the rods inward at equal distances, so as to free the rods from their locked positions, allowing the engagement to be released, and the door moved upward or opened.
These latching systems exhibit drawbacks in that they must be left open (rods inward) to close the unit, and then extend the rods. They require close tolerances to match rod ends and holes and close tolerances over the length of the door. Also, these systems require higher door panel heights, as the rods have to move linearly and over longer distances. The rods can flex or bow over a long door when they do not align with and enter their designated receiving hole. They also are of thick profiles, and thus can not fit into the spaces desired, for both functional and aesthetic purposes.